Everyone knows the gold glove winner is the best offensive player at his position. This dates back to the Eric Chavez early 2000s era, with a dose of Derek Jeter.

The Gold Glove is taken from a poll of managers and coaches around the middle of September, I've been told by people in the media. In the days when every team played ever other team more than 10 times, the award did a better job of recognizing players that had the best defensive seasons. Ozzie Smith won his first Gold Glove hitting .230 with no home runs. Winning the Gold Glove at shortstop in the 1960s was a big deal because voters cared whether Aparicio, Fregosi, Versalles or Belanger were having the best defensive season while Fregosi was generally having the best offensive season (and only won one Gold Glove).

Now reputation and overall impressions play a greater role than ever. Even average defensive players make great defensive play now and then. Better offensvie players who make great defensive plays tend to get more attention on thee daily highlights.

There are politics involved in all the postseason awards. I would like to see the Gold Glove voting go to a group that seems to care more about recognizing defensive excellence. But at least this year the award isn't going to the best offensive shortstop.

Everyone knows the gold glove winner is the best offensive player at his position. This dates back to the Eric Chavez early 2000s era, with a dose of Derek Jeter.

Yep, early 2000s seems to be when the the GG award went off the rails and became a hybrid of gold glove/silver slugger. I would have no problem with AJ getting a silver slugger at his position. He definitely deserves that one but defensively, he is not a gold glove catcher.

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I don't remember them ever being nationally revered in the 90's. I know Frank was highly regarded but the team itself even during the pennant chases no one outside Chicago seem to care. Part of that problem is in part the Sox seem to get buried by our own media. But you may be right though, I just don't remember.

I think you just might not remember. The Sox were indeed nationally known and recognized. The peak of White Sox popularity nationally was the early 90s. Frank Thomas's profile was huge. He had national endorsements with Reebok, had his own multi-platform video game with Acclaim, and even his own pinball machine with Gottlieb. He was probably second only to Ken Griffey Jr. in national popularity. Bo Jackson's comeback with the White Sox was also a big story and he was still a hugely popular name nationally. White Sox hats and merchandise were also insanely popular all over. It was pretty close in popularity to how the Yankees hats are nowadays. The Sox averaged about 35K per game back then too. The early 90s were as close as the White Sox have ever come during my lifetime to overtaking the Cubs in popularity. During that time, I'd say the two clubs were pretty even. The strike of 1994 ended all that momentum and a possible World Series run.

Don't back track. Sure A.J was there with them. But lacks the star power those others have and is not even close to being as good an all around catcher as them. Defensive stats don't tell the whole story of a catcher. I know the A.J apologists will get upset, but oh well they'll get over it.

Who is back tracking? Brian said the gold glove usually goes to the best offensive player at his position and you followed it up by saying in that case he doesn't even crack the top five. Then you claimed Weiters, Avila, Santana Saltallamachia, Mauer, and Napoli were better offensively. He proved you wrong and now you are claiming what you really meant was that he didn't have the star power.